Water ski towing device

ABSTRACT

A water ski towing device for use in towing a water skier, or other water vehicle, having a propeller driving engine enclosed in a water tight housing, and a steering handle on said housing with engine control members mounted in the steering handle, the housing having flotation wings and stabilizing fins suspended from the wings, and having air passageways through the housing and doors mounted on the housing for electronically closing said passageways, automatically, upon upset of the device, the automatic operable switch for closing the doors also breaking the flow of electricity to the engine and causing the engine to stop, and a propulsion mechanism integral with the housing and having a shield therearound, with stabilizing fins on the shield to counteract the tendency of the housing to rotate with the rotation of the propeller. A modified form of the device is provided wherein a jet propulsion is employed, and the steering handle rotates in the housing to simultaneously move the jet discharge nozzle to steer the device.

United States Patent [1 1 Heuschober [451 Nov. 26, 1974 WATER SKI TOWINGDEVICE [76] Inventor: Ernest E. Heuschober, Rt. 5, Paris,

Tex. 75460 22 Filed: Feb. 16, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 333,181

114/235 R, 235 WS, 122, 125; ZOO/61.47, 222, 224; 9/310 R, 310 B, 310 C[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,795,201 6/1957 Fogarty eta1 115/42 X 2,914,018 11/1959 Schachner et a1. 115/6.1 3,062,172 11/1962Moore 1l5/6.1 3,136,288 6/1964 Hardy 115/6.1 X 3,371,361 3/1968 Anderson115/6.l X 3,384,047 5/1968 Remley 115/12 R 3,584,594 6/1971 Poutoutl15/6.l 3,727,573 4/1973 Prohaska 114/122 Primary Examiner-Lloyd L. KingAssistant Examiner-Randolph A. Reese /5 /2&

[57] ABSTRACT A water ski towing device for use in towing a water skier,or other water vehicle, having a propeller driving engine enclosed in awater tight housing, and a steering handle on said housing with enginecontrol members mounted in the steering handle, the housing havingflotation wings and stabilizing fins suspended from the wings, andhaving air passageways through the housing and doors mounted on thehousing for electronically closing said passageways, automatically, uponupset of the device, the automatic operable switch for closing the doorsalso breaking the flow of electricity to the engine and causing theengine to stop, and a propulsion mechanism integral with the housing andhaving a shield therearound, with stabilizing fins on the shield tocounteract the tendency of the housing to rotate with the rotation'ofthe propeller.

A modified form of the device is provided wherein a jet propulsion isemployed, and the steering handle 1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures SHEET 2 OF2 PATENTEL NOV 2 6 I974 WATER SKI TOWING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Skier towing units have been known prior to this invention,particularly in foreign countries, where efforts have been made toprovide a skier with freedom of movement in the water not possible withthe usual method of towing by motor-boat. The devices so designed havebeen difficult to steer or control, and have been dangerous to the userwhere upsets occur, the skier being in danger of being pulled underwater and drowned, and the engine being in danger of being damaged byimmersion. A safe, easily handled and easily transported power unit isnecessary for safe, individually controlled, skier towing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A ski towing device having a motor drivenpropeller and a water tight housing mounted thereon, means for directinga stream of air through said housing and for automatically sealing saidhousing upon upset of said device, and a steering handle on saidhousing, and control means, extending through said handle, forcontrolling the motor. The housing of said device being provided withflotation wings and stabilizing means to counteract the tendency of thedevice to rotate in the direction of rotation of the propeller and,where a jet engine is employed, means for rotating the discharge nozzleof the jet engine to steer the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view of a skier beingtowed.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, showing the housing broken away toillustrate the interior thereof.

FIG. 4 is an end elevationalview, showing the housing broken away,illustrating the interior thereof.

FIG. 5 is a partial view-of the housing, illustrating the means forautomatically sealing the housing upon upset of the device. a

FIG. 6 is an elevational 'view'of thesteering handle and engine controlsystem, and 4 "FIG. 7 is a side elevational, fragmentary view of amodified form of the invention, illustrating the steering means employedwhen jet power is used.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the drawings, the numeral 1designates the engine, which may be of any desired horse power, andwhich rotates the propeller 2, which is housed in the cylindrical shield3 and which is integral with the housing 13. A fuel tank 4 and fillercap 5 are suitably located in the housing and a pair of spring loadeddoors 6, 7 are maintained in open position by the solenoid controlledlatch members 8, 8, the springs, 9, 9, urging the doors 6, 7 into closedposition while the latch means 8, 8 resists said action. A mercuryswitch 10, having a breaker connection with the solenoids controllingthe latch means 8, 8, and controlling ignition 11, is mounted in thehousing to remain inactive during normal operation of the device, butupon upset will be activated, and will release the latch means 8, 8,permiting the doors to close, and breaking the connection to theignition, to stop the engine 1.

A steering handle 12 is anchored to the housing 13 by means of thepivotal cap 14 and a set bolt as 15, and

a slot as 16 is formed in the handle 12 to receive the set bolt 15, toassure the proper positioning of the handle in the cap 14 so thatthe'control panel 17, inside of the housing 13, having an electricalconduit plug at its extended end adapted to be placed in alignment withthe electrical conduit plug containing the terminals of the controls 18that extend through the handle 12 and when the handle is mounted on thehousing the said bolt 15 is tightened to releasably lock the handle inposition on the housing and the electrical conduit plugs in connectedrelation. Five controls are shown extending through the handle 12, onefor the throttle, one for the starter, one for the ignition, one for theclutch and one for the choke. The clutch control is operated by one ofthe spring loaded finger lever controls 18 that provides for a holdingof the clutch in disengaged position when the lever is pulled offcenter, and the control for the throttle has a spring loaded fingerlever 19, which is adjusted to cause the engine to stall and stop whenthe lever 19 is released while the clutch remains engaged, such as whenthe user falls, or loses his grip on the handle 12. The set bolt 15extendsthrough the handle 12 and anchors in the opposing wall, providingmeans for maintaining the handle connected to the cap '15 and a guidefor the slot 16 tomaintain the handle in alignment with the controlpanel 17.

A tow ring 12b may be anchored to the handle 12 to permit towing ofother objects, if desired. An adjustable stabilizer l2a maintains thehandle in rigid relation with the housing 13 at the desired angle.

The exhaust from the engine passes through the 'exhaust pipe 20 and outof the open doorway beneath the door 7, the exhaust pipe 20 being set atan angle to direct the exhaust laterally of the housing and away fromthe skier.

Stabilizer fins 21, 21 extend downwardly from the flotation wings 22,22, which are preferably filled with flotation material 29,29, such aspolyurethane foam. A pair of fins 23, 23 extend laterally from thepropeller shield 3, said fins, 23, 23, being manually adjustable priorto using and being designed to resist the urge to rotate caused by therotation of the propeller 2.

A skier is ready to start skiing when he has mounted his ski and is inthe water, and has grasped the handle- 12 and tilted the forward end ofthe housing upwardly. The clutch contr'ol lever 18 is drawn rearwardly,moving the spring past center, and locking the clutch in engagedposition and advancing the throttle, which will cause a surge forward ofthe device, lifting the skier out of the water, into ski position on thesurface of the water, and the engine will be in substantially parallelrelation with the water surface and its direction of travel will bedetermined by the users movement of the handle 12. In the event theskier falls, he will release the handle 12, and the finger levers l9,l8, and because the clutch lever will remain engaged, the motor willstall and the engine stop. In the event the unit turns over, the mercuryswitch 10 will break the connection to the ignition at a pre selecteddegree of tip, and will activate the solenoids, moving the latches 8, 8out of connection with the doors 6, 7, and the springs on the doors 6,7will closethe doors, making the housing water proof, and trapping theair in the housing, to aid in the flotation of the unit and to keepwater out of the housing 13, so that the skier may quickly reach theunit and right it and start the engine and continue the sport, startingthe engine by releasing the lever 18, and manipulating the startercontrol, or the skier may, if he is injured, cling to the housing untilhelp arrives.

In the modified form shown in FIG. 7, the jet engine is used, with thedischarge conduit 24 extending out of the lower end of the housing 25and the handle 26 rotating the gears 27 through the connecting link 28,to rotate the discharge conduit 24 to steer the unit. The housingopening through which the conduit 24 extends will provide a traversearea, and will be suitably sealed to prevent entry of water into thehousing. As the motor drives a pump (not shown) water is driven out ofconduit 24 under pressure to effect the propulsion of the vehicle andthe direction in which the conduit is turned provides the steering ofthe vehicle.

The handle 12 is detachable so that, in transporting the device fromplace to place, the handle may be disconnected and loaded beside thebody of the housing. However, it is contemplated that other methods oftemporarily moving the handle out of extended position may be employed.

What I claim is:

1. In a towing device for use on water, an engine, a propulsion meansdriven by said engine, a housing in which said engine is mounted, meansfor directing a flow of air through said housing and electronicallyactuated means for sealing said housing against water entrancerespondent to upset of the device, a pivotally mounted handle on saidhousing movable to a selected rigid position and engine control meansmounted in said handle and operable at the extended end thereof, saidhousing being provided with laterally extended wings having a buoyantfiller, and having downwardly extended, tapered stabilizing finssimilarly filled with a buoyant filler.

1. In a towing device for use on water, an engine, a propulsion meansdriven by said engine, a housing in which said engine is mounted, meansfor directing a flow of air through said housing and electronicallyactuated means for sealing said housing against water entrancerespondent to upset of the device, a pivotally mounted handle on saidhousing movable to a selected rigid position and engine control meansmounted in said handle and operable at the extended end thereof, saidhousing being provided with laterally extended wings having a buoyantfiller, and having downwardly extended, tapered stabilizing finssimilarly filled with a buoyant filler.